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Santa Cruz County Land Use & Development Overview



California Local Pin Marker Get To Know A Group

This group founded in 2001 by local volunteers is dedicated to making Santa Cruz County a place where the needs of a diverse community can be met in a way that is “safe, affordable, convenient and sustainable for future generations.”

California Local Pin Marker Local Land Use & Development Digest

When California Housing Regulators Beef With Voters, Who Wins?

07/24/2024

What happens when voters take to the ballot to thumb their nose at state housing law? Courts haven’t offered a clear answer.

California Forever abandons ballot measure in face of growing opposition, looks to 2026

07/24/2024

California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Grand Jury Raises Questions About Who Gets Affordable Homes

A report raises questions about whether the City of Santa Cruz is properly tracking who lives in “inclusionary units”—those set aside as affordable housing—within the city to make sure preference is given to Santa Cruz residents.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Tree Work Completed at Castle Rock State Park

Volunteers of the global nonprofit Dr. Shri. Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan completed a conservation drive at Castle Rock State Park, located along Skyline Boulevard, on June 22.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo LOCAL NEWS
Why Byrne-Milliron’s Closed for Sustainable Timber Harvest

Property will be closed to public access through May 1, 2025 to selectively harvest trees and maintain forest health.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Sí Se Puede Breaks Ground for New Facility

An organization that helps men break free from drug and alcohol addiction officially broke ground on June 21 on a new Behavioral Health Center on Miles Lane in Watsonville.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
New City Looms in South of Laurel Area Plan

A bustling neighborhood and a new 3,200-seat arena for the Santa Cruz Warriors are part of a plan to transform Downtown Santa Cruz in the coming years.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
Camp Krem on the Road to Recovery

A Bright Future in Sight: Camping Unlimited at Camp Krem Approved for FEMA Assistance

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Explainer: Nov. 5 Bond Measure for Pajaro Valley Unified School District

A bond measure on the Nov. 5 ballot would help improve Watsonville High School and other schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
APTOS >> Voters in Pajaro Valley Unified School District will …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Housing Projects Taking Shape in Pajaro, Watsonville

Just across the Pajaro River from Watsonville in Monterey County, hundreds of seasonal farmworkers are now living in a recently completed housing complex created for them at the end of Susan Street.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
California Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Project Approved

The Ben Lomond Village Alliance (BLVA) California Monarch And Pollinator Habitat Kit project has been accepted into the Pollinator Habitat Monarch Conservation program through the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Sacramento. Out of 200 applicants, the BLVA project was …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Inside the Plan to Expand Downtown Santa Cruz

Spruce Street could close to vehicles from Pacific Avenue to the San Lorenzo River levee as part of a proposed Santa Cruz Downtown expansion plan. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local)
Key takeaways

Featured

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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